Injuries with Leafpool
'Cracked Pads ' Cracked pads are uncomfortable -- but they are not very dangerous unless they become infected. Cracked pads are not especially common, long-distance running over hard surfaces (especially thunder path) can be very damaging. Rocks, dirt and other debris can get stuck between pads and cause damage if they are not properly washed. TREATMENT: When individual symptoms are treated, pads will heal on their own. Bleeding, if there is any, can be cleaned and stopped with cobwebs and horsetail poultice if necessary. The cat can do cleaning the pads themselves, or another cat, with a good gentle wash. The washing is very important! The pads will now heal themselves, and if the cracks are deep a but of goldenrod salve will aid in recovery. Make sure the cats stays off their paws until their rested. '''Broken Bones '''I'm asking all you medicine cats to personally do you absolute best when it comes to broken bones. I know the crippling effects of what a lack of mobility can do to a cat's body, and their spirit. But, having broken by back leg twice, or was it once... This reincarnation thing can get a bit confusing! I'm a bit of an expert I guess. A broken limb is no fun at all! Not only is it painful, but also you have to be confined to the den for a long time as it heals. TREATMENT: Broken bones are hard to treat, and sometimes, as in my case will never completely heal properly. There are success stories, like mine (or Cinderpaw's?) in Dark River. Jaypaw and Leafpool used long rushes bound to the leg with cobwebs to keep it in place for healing. Comfrey is quite the useful plant in this situation, as it speeds the recovery of all bruises, wounds and breaks, and will also deal with the pain (as will poppyseeds, standard usage rules apply). A poultice of mallow and barley will heal bruises and aid in the recovery of the breaks when applied to the area. Keep that cat in the medicine cat den, and keep them still, or else the rush dressing could loosen and the set would come undone. Once the leg has been healed then make sure they do some stretching exercises to ensure it's good as new. Rat bites The treatment for rat bites is pretty well-known, there are a few, and in the usual case they will be as easily healed as normal bites and scratches. However, rats tend to be pretty dirty animals, so you need to be prepared for infection! Snake bites are even more dangerous (I bet some ThunderClan medicine cats had to deal with curious apprentices at snakerocks) and potentially deadly, especially those of the adder, which we're most familiar with here in ThunderClan. TREATMENT: To ward off infection, treat rat bites with burdock root, which is a natural blood purifier. Even stronger is a ShadowClan secret Yellowfang told me (they tend to deal with lots of rat bites in that Clan) is the use of wild garlic -- your den mates won't thank you for it, but it works even better then burdock to make sure you'll be healed quickly. Tansy can also be used, though it is too mild to be recommended. Snake bites are a bit more difficult of course, and there isn't much you can do for a cat who has been bitten. Chances are, tragic as it may be, they will die. Kitting and Birthing The birth of kittens is a beautiful and natural thing, and will usually go well and uneventful. However, there are many herbs that are useful in making kitting a less painful and smoother process, including helping queens feed their kits with milk. A queen may request a medicine cat be present for a birthing, and they often are, but a queen can give birth without help. A queen's belly will slowly grow larger as the kits develop, usually over a two-moon or so period. At the end of which a she-cat will begin to have a sudden drop of body temperate (which can be checked by touching the pads with your nose). As she gets ready to give birth she may begin to purr and breath heavily, and her chest will rise and fall. She will then have to push out the kittens as she gives birth, which (or so the queens tell me) can be painful. Most cats will give birth to two to four kittens, but it is not unusual for a she-cat to only give birth to one. A she-cat will have to lick her kittens at birth to start them breathing and get rid of the filmy sac that covers them at birth. This should go rather uneventfully! Poppyseeds should never be used on a pregnant queen because the she-cat needs to feel the pain to push out the kittens, but juniper, mallow or thyme is useful to give a queen before kitting to ensure a smooth birth. Feverfew is good to give queens after they've finished kitting, to expel anything left and to ease any pain or bleeding. Mallow and borage can both help a queen to keep a good supply of milk for their kits. Beestings and Bugbites Beestings and other bug bites are usually not especially serious, a cat does not need treatment and the bite may be uncomfortable for a day or so, though it will heal. Occasionally though you may have a patient who has an especially sore, inconvenient, or infected bite which will need to be treated. TREATMENT: Nettle is especially good for beestings though onion is a fair substitute and will prevent infection. For swelling, apply water soaked with a piece of alder bark. Cobwebs and poppyseeds should not be necessary, but later if the cat is complaining of great pain. Torn Claw Most cats will undoubtedly tear a claw in their lifetime. This should not be all that much of a problem -- a cat may limp for a sunrise or two as it heals and there may be a bit of swelling and pain, and if there is bleeding, then cobwebs should be applied, and marigold to prevent infection. Poppyseeds should not be necessary unless the cat is complaining of intense pain. Thorns You've heard your mentor deal with them I expect -- thorns turn strong warriors into pathetic kits, and they're not even all that bad! You have to tease them a little of course, I've heard full grown cats moaning like they're at StarClan's camp just to show me a thorn stuck in their pad. Twoleg debris are much more serious, which is why we train cats to stay away from twolegs TREATMENT: Pull the thorn out with your teeth -- it will hurt for a second, and then it will be over. The wound may bleed a bit, but it shouldn't be serious enough to demand your supply of cobwebs, just as well have the cat lick their paw carefully to clear out any debris and stop the bleeding. If there is an infection, apply marigold poultice, and if not you may want to apply a mild salve of chamomile to bring down swelling or a different herb to prevent infection. Stiffness and Bone aches This ailment most often affects the elders den again, and is a result of damp nests, cold weather or just plain old age. It's important to teach apprentices how to dry moss carefully so you can avoid aching joints when possible! There are two closely related ailments here: aching joints, which is often a swelling of the joints and results in stiffness and aches that results from damp nests and age. The similar aching bones comes from cold weather and age, and is also stiffness. TREATMENT: wrapping the afflicted area with wetted burdock can help relieve pain and stiffness, and daisy or a ragwort poultice is also a useful herb for treating aching joints.